Two Fateful Nights
by AlexJohnD
Summary: When Keith and Lance fight things tend to have an odd way of working themselves out. In this case they both ended up at The Lion's Head Pub, albeit at different times. That poor bartender... One-shot. Shklance.


"Ugh, you are SO immature!" Keith yelled. His face was turning as red as his jacket, a thought that amused Lance for a moment, but he decided that if he valued his life he probably shouldn't make a crack about it at the present moment.

"I fail to see how I'm being immature," Lance retorted. "You're the one yelling."

"Well I'm not the one who spent $200 on an action figure!" Keith panted, trying to catch his breath between the yelling and the seething anger boiling up inside of him.

"It's mint in box! It's a collectable and it'll be worth a fortune one day!" Lance insisted, but Keith was still having none of it.

"Even if it will we don't have the money for it now! Don't you remember what happened last time you bought a 'collectable'? We almost got evicted when we missed the rent payment!"

"We'll be fine," Lance insisted, but Keith refused to listen. He shook his head in disgust.

"How do you know that?" Keith asked unnervingly calmly given his previous demeanour. "We don't even have steady jobs Lance. We can barely afford the rent as it is. If we don't get enough shifts next week, we'll miss the payment again. What if they kick us out?"

"They won't…" Lance started, but he didn't get to finish.

"YOU CAN'T KNOW THAT!" Keith yelled loud enough that Lance was sure the neighbours heard. Keith only yelled that loudly when he was really mad and Lance knew that.

"Keith…"

"Get out." Suddenly Keith's voice was calm and level once more. Lance was confused for just a split second, but then he caught on.

"Keith…"

"OUT!" Keith was back to yelling and Lance decided that if Keith didn't want to talk then there was no point in him trying. He grabbed his jacket and slammed the door behind him. He hoped this would give them both a chance to calm down.

As Lance reached the lobby of their building he pulled out his phone. He scrolled through the contacts until he reached Hunk. He pressed dial and put the phone against his ear as he pushed through the front doors of the building. The cool air chilled his bones and he instinctively held his jacket closed. As the phone rang he dipped behind a column to try and get out of the wind.

"Hello?"

"Hunk!" Lance smiled. "What are you up to?"

"On a date with Shay, why?"

"Oh, never mind," Lance responded. "Have fun."

"You sure?" Hunk asked, clearly not buying Lance's nonchalance.

"Yeah yeah, I'll talk to you later," Lance insisted before hanging up. He took a deep breath before looking back at his phone and once more scrolling through his contact list. Finding Pidge he pushed dial and returned the phone to his ear. It rang three times but ultimately led to voicemail.

Lance sighed and didn't leave a message. He pushed himself forward, deciding to instead take a walk around the area. He took turns at random, ending up in a part of town that he actually didn't recognize. He looked at the darkened store windows, closed due to the late hour but their wares still on display. It took him a full fifteen minutes to pass the first place that was open: The Lion's Head Bar.

Lance looked at the door handle for a solid minute before finally putting his hand on it. Keith may be worried about money, but he needed a drink. Besides, Rolo owed him a shift at work.

 **...**

Shiro sighed as he looked around the empty bar. The whole night had been like this, the sound of the radio station he had on was his only company. It played a variety of music but after several hours of uninterrupted listening it was really starting to give Shiro a headache.

"Perhaps I should just close for the night," Shiro murmured to himself. He had already cleaned, stocked, and counted everything twice, and now he had no idea what to do. He had only opened the bar last weekend and this was his first truly dead evening.

Shiro stepped out from behind the bar and took a stroll around the empty space. It was a small bar but to him it was perfect. It was his slice of heaven. There were six high top tables in the middle and 3 booths on either side of the restaurant. If nothing else it was symmetrical.

The bar counter stretched across the back wall, and behind that was a colourful display of alcohol under the two large flat screen televisions that were set to the local news station. There was no game tonight and Shiro had no idea what else to put on. They were on mute now in favour of the music, considering he could only hear the same news story so many times before he got sick of it. He completed two circuits before returning to his station behind the bar and leaning on the hard faux stone countertop.

He had every type of alcohol he could think of on his shelves, and that alone was enough to make him smile. Few people knew about his creative side (heck few people knew more than just his name period), but Shiro loved to create and mix new cocktails. Cocktails no one had ever tried before. Before he had opened he had created a whole menu page of original drinks, a copy of which sat prominently on the bar top. Shiro didn't realize he was smiling, but he did jump when all of a sudden he heard the door open.

Shiro spun around to see a guy walk in and beeline for the bar. He had medium brown hair, deep blue eyes, and he appeared to be a university student from town. He was third year if Shiro had to guess, but quite possibly fourth. Shiro gave him the once over, noting just how easy he was on the eyes, before greeting him.

"Welcome. What can I get for you?" He asked as he placed his hands on the bar. He was promptly ignored, however, as the man sat down wordlessly and immediately began eyeing the wall of alcohol behind him. Shiro instinctively stepped to the side to let him look, wondering what exactly it was he was looking for. He supposed that he had found it when the customer's scowl turned into a smile.

"Havana Club. The three year," was all the stranger said.

"How do you want it?"

"Shot."

Shiro shrugged and did as requested. He placed the shot glass on the bar top in front of the customer and poured the clear liquid carefully into the glass. He filled it to the brim perfectly, not a drop falling over the edge. Then, as quickly as it was poured, it was gone and another was being requested.

"What's your name?" Shiro asked as he refilled the glass. If this was going to be his only customer all night then he wanted to at least be able to talk to the guy to help the time pass.

"Lance," was the answer as the second shot was consumed. Immediately a third was requested. Shiro hesitated, but he poured the shot. He saw Lance about to signal for a fourth, but he was relieved when he didn't. "Can you mix it with some Sprite this time?"

Shiro gladly poured him the mixed drink as well as a large glass of ice water. He was happy to see Lance take a sip of water before starting on the drink.

"Anything you want me to change the television to?" Shiro asked as Lance took his biggest gulp yet.

"Hm? No, it's fine. I won't pay attention to it anyway." With that he finished his drink and requested another.

"So what brings you in?" Lance wasn't sure what to say, but before he could stop himself he had already started speaking. He figured it must have been a mixture of the large, sudden alcohol intake and the lack of dinner.

"A fight. I spent some money on a collectable and now he's worried it might cost us the rent. But it's fine! And it'll be worth something eventually," Lance insisted.

"So, after a fight about money, you came to a bar to drink and spend more?" Shiro asked as he finished pouring the next drink.

"Yeah. I'm going to be picking up an extra shift this week anyway so it'll be fine."

"Alright then," Shiro said. A piece of him was relieved that he wouldn't have to worry about not getting the tab paid, but then he had to stop his mind from wandering in the direction of all the dirty ideas of how else Lance might be able to settle his tab. "So, you're a student at the university?" Shiro asked, trying to change his train of thought immediately (if not sooner). "Third year I'm guessing?"

"Fourth," Lance corrected. He was just finishing his second drink and decided that one more couldn't hurt.

"So you're near the end! That's great. I actually graduated from U of A four years ago. What are you studying?" Shiro asked as he poured the familiar cocktail.

"Aviation."

"That sounds cool. Aiming to be a pilot?"

"That's the end goal," Lance confirmed as he took his first sip of his refreshed cocktail. "Do you…what do you think I should do?"

"In aviation?" Shiro asked, confused.

"No, about the whole rent thing. I mean I think we'll be fine, but what do you think?" Shiro was taken aback by the sudden request for advice, but he was willing to oblige.

"I think you need to talk it over with your roommate. I don't know the details of all this, but you two do and need to work towards a solution if you want to stay friends."

Lance took a sip as Shiro responded. As soon as he swallowed he knew he'd messed up as the world started to slowly spin and his voice started to fail him.

"You know what? You're right," Lance said, slightly slurred, and not realizing that he hadn't corrected the bartender regarding his relationship status. Perhaps that was because he too was starting to forget. "You're amazing. Smart and hot. What's your secret?"

"S-Secret?" Shiro stuttered as a blush graced his cheeks. "Oh, no secret."

"To look that damn good and be able to give good advice, you-there must be," Lance insisted, his face holding a massive smile as he propped his chin on his palm and stared at Shiro.

"Nope, not really," Shiro said, but he did attempt to flex his biceps as nonchalantly as possible. This wasn't exactly how Shiro had expected this night to develop, however he also wasn't about to complain. Shiro immediately noticed Lance's eyes dart down to his arms before quickly returning to his face. He took Lance's now empty glass and, instead of pouring a new drink, pushed the water a little bit closer to Lance. "Perhaps it's just a natural talent."

"You know, I've got some 'natural talents'," Lance said with a wink and a seductive smile.

"Oh really?" Shiro smirked. "And what kind of 'natural talents' would those be, hm?"

"How about I show you? I could show you on this bar," Lance replied, his eyes sparkling with an infuriatingly perfect balance of both mischief and lust. It was killing Shiro, but there was no way he was taking advantage of a drunk customer regardless of how attractive they were.

"Maybe another time," Shiro said before quickly changing the subject. "Come on, perhaps you should head home. It's getting pretty late."

"Awww," Lance complained, but he accepted that he should head home. He stood up and immediately fell over from the dizziness. Shiro came running around the bar to find a laughing Lance on the floor clutching his sides.

"Come on, I guess I'm walking you," Shiro said, and that made Lance smile even more. Lance's arms found their way around Shiro's waist in a way that Shiro didn't entirely oppose, but he reminded himself that he would not take advantage of someone when they were drunk.

Lance gave directions as Shiro slowly led the drunken student home. Fortunately it wasn't too far of a walk and the elevator in the building whisked them directly to Lance's floor. As they made it to the door Lance released Shiro and started digging around in his pockets for his keys. When he found them he paused, looking directly at Shiro.

"Thanks for walking me home," Lance said as he ran a hand down Shiro's torso. His shirt was fairly tight and Lance enjoyed feeling the definition of the muscles underneath. He quickly wrapped his arms around Shiro's neck and went to pull him in for a kiss, but Shiro managed to turn it into a hug.

"Have a good night," Shiro said as he pulled away and made his way back to the elevator. He watched Lance open his door and head inside, then breathed a sigh of relief. While he would have loved to go forward with that kiss he knew it was wrong when Lance was so drunk. That didn't stop him from hoping Lance would return to his bar tomorrow though.

 **...**

The first time Keith was awoken was when he suddenly felt something flop into the bed. Squinting he read 2:37 A.M. on his bedside clock and proceeded to roll his eyes. He could smell the alcohol from the opposite side of the bed and if he was going to talk to Lance, Lance had better be able to remember it.

The second time Keith was awoken was by the sun at about 9:45. He got out of bed, rustling the mattress just enough to be sure he would wake up Lance. Sure enough, as he stood up, he heard the tired groan coming from his boyfriend.

"Oh good, you're awake," Keith commented venomously.

"Mmmmmm," Lance complained, but he didn't take his face out of his pillow.

"You want to tell me where the hell you went last night?" Keith demanded. He crossed his arms even though he knew perfectly well that Lance wouldn't look up.

"Out," came Lance's muffled response.

"You know what I mean."

"I went to a bar and had a drink."

"From the smell of it you had more than one Lance! How can you afford this? How can WE afford this!? You've already spent most of our money on that stupid doll…"

"COLLECTABLE!" Lance insisted, now bothering to look up. His hand instinctively flew to his face to protect his eyes from the sunlight.

"Regardless, what are we supposed to do now!"

"Don't worry about it," was all Lance would say. As much as Keith could try he knew he wasn't going to get any further and so he left. If Lance wasn't going to be reasonable then he wasn't going to talk.

Keith looked around the living room for something to do, or at least something to distract himself. He saw a few dishes in the sink, some shelves that needed dusting, but then his eyes landed on the awaiting vacuum cleaner. A wicked smile slowly made its way onto his face and Keith wasted no time in plugging it in and turning it on. It took exactly three and a half seconds for Lance to come running out of the bedroom.

"Is that really necessary right now?" Lance asked, but Keith pretended like he couldn't hear him. As soon as he noticed Lance about to talk again, he turned off the vacuum.

"IS THAT REALLY NECESSARY RIGHT NOW?" Lance yelled, not realizing until too late that the vacuum had been turned off.

"Geez, there's no need to yell," Keith smirked, and he could practically feel the homicidal thoughts radiating from Lance. He didn't give Lance a chance to respond before he turned the vacuum back on.

Lance spun around and retreated back into the bedroom. Minutes later he returned, fully dressed, and wordlessly grabbed the grocery list on the fridge. He slammed the door behind him, and Keith couldn't help but smirk again.

Nearly ten hours later and Lance still hadn't returned. Keith would have been worried if Hunk hadn't messaged him that Lance was with him, but now that all of the housework was done (twice) he was bored. He paced the small living room for what felt like the hundredth time before reaching for his jacket and his keys. Tonight he was going for a walk.

 **...**

Shiro had just handed the receipt to the last guy and watched them walk out when the new sole patron walked into the bar. Shiro was glad not to have an empty spell; it helped pass the time. He smiled as the stranger sat down at the bar but before he could speak the new customer opened his mouth.

"Milk."

Shiro opened his mouth, then immediately closed it. He had no idea how to respond to that, or even what to give the man. He rummaged through the fridge beneath the bar and found the carton of 2% milk that he used when customers ordered coffee. He liked that it was less wasteful than the mini packets and apparently it would come in handy for situations exactly like this. He poured the man a glass and placed it in front of him.

As soon as Shiro removed his hands from the glass Keith picked it up and chugged. He finished the glass in one go and slammed it back down, demanding another. He repeated this process twice, confusing Shiro more and more each time. What really confused Shiro, however, was when after the third glass he got up and sprinted to the restroom.

There was exactly a 2.5 second gap between when Shiro heard the door slam shut and when the very faint sound of heaving started. He was glad no one else was around to avoid the sick customer's and his own embarrassment. He started washing the glass to distract himself, waiting until the student returned from the restroom and sat back down at the bar.

"Water?" Shiro offered.

"Shiner Bock," Keith replied. Shiro pulled one out of the second fridge below the bar and popped it open.

"So, what's your name," Shiro asked as the man lifted the beer to his lips. He took a swig, clearly enjoying the taste, before answering.

"Keith. Yours?"

"Shiro. Are you doing ok?" Keith took another sip and sighed.

"I assume you're talking about what just happened. I'm fine. I'm just lactose intolerant."

"Then why would you order milk?" Shiro asked, concern and confusion crashing down on him simultaneously.

"I drink it when I'm mad and just want to get it out of my system."

"Literally," Shiro muttered, and Keith had to laugh at that. Luckily he didn't have too much beer in his mouth as his chuckle turned into full on laughter. It made Shiro smile and, in the back of his mind, he realized that he really liked the sound of Keith's laughter. It was genuine, contagious, and it made Shiro want to join. Shiro was so lost in Keith's laughter that he almost didn't hear Keith's question.

"So, you own the place or just work here?"

"Hm? Oh, I own it. Just opened a couple weeks ago. I went to university here and decided that this was the last place I truly felt home. So I came back."

"What did you study?"

"International Affairs."

"And you ended up owning a bar?"

"I should've picked a better degree," Shiro laughed.

"Or at least one with better job prospects," Keith retorted, emptying the beer and sliding the empty bottle back towards Shiro.

They kept talking over another two beers, Shiro even joining Keith for one. No one else had walked into the bar and he felt like he deserved it. Just as Shiro gave Keith his next beer, Keith got an idea.

"Hey, give me a shot of Jose Cuervo with this would you?"

"Really? Seems like an odd combination," Shiro commented, but he poured the shot nonetheless. Before he had the chance to offer salt and a lime, Keith responded.

"Not really. It's tex mex, bitch!" Keith then proceeded to mix the shot into his beer and chug the whole thing. Shiro couldn't help his outburst of laughter, barely recovering by the time Keith had finished his concoction. "You got a problem with that?"

"No, not at all. I can respect a man who will drink his IQ down 3 points." The pair then burst back into laughter, partially at the comment and partially at the sheer amount of sarcasm Shiro had managed to pack the sentence with. Regardless, Keith ordered the same combination once more. He drank slower this time and savoured the warm tingle of the tequila going down his throat and yet up to his brain at the same time. He smiled to himself as the world around him started to swim, the telltale sign that inebriation had been achieved.

"So, you working alone tonight?" Keith asked.

"Why, you getting bored with me? Need someone else?" Shiro smirked.

"Maybe I wanted to make sure no one would come out of the back room as I jump you," Keith said with a wink and a sip of his drink. He almost spat it out when he laughed at Shiro's tomato red face and he swore he could feel the heat radiating from him from across the bar counter. "Relax, I'm joking," Keith assured.

What Keith didn't realize was that Shiro, while blushing, had actually liked the comment. A piece of him, no matter how small or knowing that it wouldn't actually happen, was actually hoping that Keith would have done it. But then he knew he would never take advantage of someone who had been drinking. It just wouldn't be right.

As that thought passed through his brain a wave of déjà vu hit Shiro like a tidal wave. He knew that this scene seemed familiar and it only took him a moment to remember the guy in the green jacket the night before. Shiro couldn't believe his luck; two guys flirting with him in two nights? He didn't even have that kind of luck when he was a student! He was snapped back to reality when he realized Keith had stopped laughing and started speaking.

"I like your shirt," Keith commented. "Where did you get it?"

"This old thing? Honestly I don't remember. I've had it for years." Shiro looked down at his torso and fidgeted with the hem of his grey t-shirt, but he stopped when his hand was suddenly joined by another.

"It looks good on you," he heard Keith say as the hand moved its way slowly down his chest. The touch was soft and delicate, the slender fingers tracing the muscles before they pulled away half way down Shiro's abs.

 _'Crap,'_ Shiro thought to himself. Why was it that attractive people would always get drunk before flirting with him? He liked his moral compass, it was one of his better qualities, but sometimes it really tortured him. Still, it wouldn't be horrible of him to be a little flirty back though, right?

"Thanks, but I'm starting to worry it's a little small." Shiro gently flexed his pectorals to tighten the shirt even further, earning a smile from Keith.

"No no, it's perfect," Keith replied as he took another sip of his drink. "How often do you go to the gym?"

"Four or five times a week," Shiro replied. "It was hard at the beginning, but once you start seeing results it's way more motivating."

"I'd love to see some of those results up close and personal," Keith practically whispered. The way his voice changed to make his words sound airy drove Shiro crazy, but he knew that there was a line. The flirting was going a little too far at this point and his moral compass had once again started flashing at him.

"So, what brings you in?" Shiro quickly asked in order to change the subject as quickly as possible. "You said you drink milk when you're mad. What happened?"

"Fucking children's toy is going to cost us the rent. I'd rather not talk about it," Keith growled. Shiro could tell that there was no malice aimed at himself but he realized better than to push any further on the subject.

"I'm sure everything will be fine." Shiro poured a glass of water for Keith and handed it to him, but Keith just sort of looked at it and brushed it off.

Ignoring the water Keith had one more of his Tex Mex concoction before he decided it was probably best to head out. Plus he felt he might be slightly overstaying when Shiro started to turn off the televisions and put everything away. He started to get up from his stool but the head rush made him immediately sit back down.

"Whoa whoa," Shiro stopped him, "You're not going anywhere just yet. As soon as I'm done here I'll take you home."

"No no," Keith barely managed to mutter. "I'll be fine."

"No you won't," Shiro said as he put away the last glass and grabbed his jacket. As he walked around to the stool he added, "Come on, put your arm over my shoulder. We'll walk slow."

"I'm not drunk," Keith insisted. "I don't get fully drunk. I just have a headache."

"I insist." Keith decided that it wouldn't be best to argue, so he gave in.

Keith put his arm around Shiro's waist instead and he didn't bother to correct him. He decided to let himself have this one.

The air outside was crisp and the walk was slow. It was quiet as well, a silence settling between the pair. It wasn't awkward, but instead understanding. It was late, one was drunk, and the other was tired. Keith would mumble directions every now and again and Shiro would take the corners even slower for Keith.

It wasn't until they rounded the last corner that Shiro realized that this area looked familiar, and it wasn't until they entered the building that Shiro realized why. It was the same building that Shiro had dropped Lance off at the night before. He shrugged off the tidbit of information as irrelevant and forgot it as he thanked the man who held the front door open for them. It came right back when they got off the elevator on the same floor though.

Shiro looked around at all of the doors but they all looked the same. He couldn't remember exactly which one Lance's was. When Keith stopped Shiro almost stumbled as his attention snapped back to Keith. Keith released Shiro's waist and started searching for his keys before he groaned.

"Shit. I don't have my keys." Keith tried the handle and sure enough it was locked. Shiro didn't even have the chance to think of what he could do before Keith was suddenly banging on the door yelling, "HEY! WAKE UP AND LET ME IN!"

Normally Shiro would be worried that Keith would wake up the floor. Normally he would tell Keith to remember that other people would be sleeping. But this time, this time was different, and it wasn't just because he barely knew Keith. This time it was because everything suddenly fell into place in Shiro's head.

The same building. The same floor. The children's toy (collectable as Lance had called it) costing them the rent. It all suddenly made sense. Keith was knocking on Lance's door. They lived together. They were probably boyfriends. And Shiro had flirted with both of them. Cue panic attack. Shiro barely had the time to process anything before the door was flung open by none other than Lance.

"There you are! Where the hell have you...Shiro?"

"Uh, hi Lance," was what came out of Shiro's mouth, but his mind was thinking, _'Crap.'_

"Wait, you two know each other?" Keith asked, suddenly sounding better than he had at the bar.

Shiro's thought process immediately changed to, _'CRAP CRAP CRAP.'_

"Well, sorta. He walked me home from the bar yesterday. So I think I know where you were."

"Not now Lance, I have a headache." Unknowingly Keith's arm slipped back around Shiro's waist as he leaned for support.

"Oh no," Lance said. "We are talking about this right now." As Lance said that he grabbed Keith's other arm and pulled him inside. Shiro tried to use this chance to escape but Keith's grip was too strong and he was pulled inside. The sound of the door closing behind him sounded more like a jail cell slamming shut and Shiro had to brace himself for what was to come.

Shiro took a quick look around the space he was being dragged into. There was a galley style kitchen off to the left and two doors straight ahead, past the couch and coffee table. A decently sized television was mounted to the wall to the right. As he was looking around he suddenly lost balance, pushed onto the couch. It was soft, fortunately, as Shiro suspected it may be a little while before he would be going anywhere.

Shiro tried his hardest to focus on anything but the arguing. He knew that he should stay out of this as much as possible, and the awkwardness would probably only get worse if he attempted to interject. He twiddled with his thumbs, checked his phone twice, and basically did anything to help dispel the horrid awkwardness that was starting to form around him like a bubble. In the end that bubble was popped by Lance.

"And then you show up here with your arm around Shiro's waist!"

"He was supporting me! I was dizzy!"

"You sure seem fine now..."

"That's because now I am Lance! My headache would probably be gone too if you weren't yelling right now."

"Don't try and change the subject. You were probably flirting with him too! You know you get flirty when you drink!"

"In his defense you flirted with me too Lance," Shiro interrupted, immediately regretting it and questioning why he had opened his mouth. Both sets of eyes immediately snapped to him, then a split second later back to each other.

"You hypocrite," Keith smirked. "Everything you just said about me flirting with someone else and you did it too!"

"I was just being nice! Shiro started it," Lance defended, and Keith immediately looked to Shiro for confirmation.

"That's...not exactly how I remember it Lance," Shiro said. He only spoke up this time out of fear of Keith burning holes into his skull with his eyes. A wave of relief washed over him as Lance became the recipient of the look.

"Oh? And who started the flirting tonight Shiro?" Lance immediately asked.

"Keith."

"Look," Keith interjected with enough force to ensure both of the others were paying full attention to him. He looked at Lance as he spoke though, clearly indicating that he was the main target of this portion of the conversation. "Clearly we were both in the wrong here. This argument has turned into something way more than it had to and now we've dragged poor Shiro into the middle of this." Turning to Shiro he asked, "I'm sorry you got stuck in the middle of all this. Can I offer you a coffee? Tea?"

Shiro was caught so off guard by the sudden level-headedness of Keith and the kindness of his offer that he couldn't find it in him to refuse. "Tea please." Keith headed over to the kitchen and Lance took a seat on the couch next to Shiro.

"I'm sorry too Shiro," Lance added. "This was really inappropriate of us."

"It's fine," Shiro replied. "If I can ask though, what exactly was this 'collectable'?"

"Children's toy!" Keith called from the kitchen. Shiro bit his lip, hoping he hadn't just reignited the argument, but Lance actually laughed.

"It's a Voltron action figure signed by the voice actor. I've collected most of the characters, all of the lions and the full Voltron that can stand on its own. I am so close to finally completing the set!" Lance smiled. He seemed so excited about his collection and his smile was infectious.

"It's still an action figure and therefore a children's toy," Keith said as he placed the tray of beverages down on the coffee table before handing one to Shiro. Lance reached for his own as Keith grabbed his and sat down on the opposite side of Shiro.

"But seriously, Shiro, we're sorry for dragging you into all this. And for all the bad flirting. Especially Keith's," Lance joked just before taking a sip. He elected to ignore the action figure comment.

"Hey, it couldn't have been that bad if he flirted back!" Keith defended.

"You know Shiro," Lance started with a mischievous smirk, "As much as I hate to admit it, he has a point. You did flirt back. With both of us." Lance wiggled his eyebrows and Shiro just knew that his face was turning a bright red. He tried to stop it but it was a force to be reckoned with, starting in his neck and racing up past his cheeks to his forehead.

"I can't believe someone finally enjoyed Lance's flirting," Keith laughed, earning himself a dirty look from Lance. Lance leaned forward to swat the boy behind Shiro's back, and Shiro noted that when Lance pulled back his arm did not. It remained on the back of the couch, just barely not touching Shiro's back.

Looking back and forth he saw each of the boys looking somewhere different. Lance seemed fixated on Shiro's shoulder while Keith was looking more towards his lips. Shiro tried to convince himself that they were just tired, that they were zoning out and staring into space, but deep down he knew that he was wrong. He noticed when both boys looked up, rather than looking at Shiro again, they looked at each other. There were a series of nods, blinks, and eye movements that Shiro couldn't understand, but he knew that somehow they were talking without saying a word.

"So," Lance started when their conversation returned to the verbal realm. "Did you make the same mistake as us? Flirting with someone else even though you have someone at home? Or are you somehow this attractive and single?"

"You flatter me, but I'm not that attractive," Shiro laughed, a soft yet mildly embarrassed smile gracing his lips. He hadn't been called attractive in quite some time, and with his prosthetic arm sometimes he was challenged to find that attractiveness in himself. Nonetheless Shiro appreciated the complement.

"I think you're quite attractive," Lance offered coyly. "Keith?"

"I do have to agree with Lance."

"Tell me Shiro, do you find us attractive?" Lance had a hard time preventing his smile from turning smug, but somehow he managed to overcome his natural instinct by the skin of his teeth.

"Well if I didn't would I have flirted back with either of you?" Shiro reasoned, but he immediately regretted it. He lifted his mug to his lips as if he could literally swallow his words, however he knew it was too late. His response had been released to the universe and now it was free to wreak its havoc.

When Shiro looked back up he could almost see his words physically bouncing back and forth between the two. There were several expression changes so minute between the two that they were clearly having some type of private conversation, but while Shiro knew he would never be fully privy to it he got the gist.

"You know Shiro…" It was Lance who started the sentence, a suaveness and flirtatious undertone even stronger than before becoming apparent in his voice. The sentence was picked up by Keith who somehow managed to hold the exact same tone.

"We really appreciate you taking such good care of us at your bar the past couple of days."

"And we really want to show you our appreciation."

Shiro was so distracted by the words being thrown out and the tone with which they were being said that he hadn't even noticed that Lance and Keith had gotten up and were standing behind him, one by either shoulder. Unexpectedly Shiro suddenly felt two hands on his body, one running from his shoulder down to his chest and the other down his prosthetic arm. His breath hitched momentarily, not knowing if either of his hosts knew about his arm, but nothing was said about it. Just as quickly as they came the hands were gone, and the bodies had started to move away from him.

"So if you would like to receive some appreciation…"

"We'll be over here."

Keith and Lance had both been making their way over to what Shiro could only assume was the bedroom door, and as they disappeared behind the door frame his blush hit its peak. It felt like a pile of cement bricks had formed around his legs, keeping him glued to the couch. He felt paralyzed physically and conflicted emotionally. He knew that there were 2 attractive men waiting for him in the next room, but at the same time he didn't want to take advantage of them. He knew they weren't drunk, but…

Shiro realized he couldn't come up with a 'but' to end that thought. The boys had seemed so genuine in their invitation and definitely in agreement about what they wanted. The more Shiro thought about it the lighter the bricks around his legs became and the faster his autopilot engaged. Before he knew it he was standing in front of the doorframe to the bedroom, looking in with anticipation to see just what he might find on the other side.

 **...**

When Shiro awoke the next morning it was quiet. He was in a strange bed and the smell of sex still lingered in the air. When he opened his eyes he was looking directly at the back of Keith's head, Keith himself being on Lance's chest. Lance was snoring softly, his chest moving Keith slightly with every slow movement. Shiro couldn't help but smile at how peaceful they looked.

He turned his head the other way and realized he was on the side of the bed closest to the door. His clothes were strewn near the exit, taken off by wanting hands and left haphazardly on the floor before those same hands had dragged him into the bed.

Shiro had never been in this scenario before. He didn't know what the etiquette was, but at the same time he was internally panicking. He had just slept with two complete strangers who may have been under some type of influence, even if they didn't appear so. Keith had insisted he was sober and didn't have any mannerisms of someone who was intoxicated, but still Shiro worried. He decided it would be best to just leave.

He moved out of the bed slowly to avoid jostling the other occupants. He tiptoed over to his clothes and grabbed them, holding them as he exited the bedroom. He changed rapidly just outside the bedroom door, listening carefully to the sounds emanating from the bedroom. He heard the consistency of Lance's snoring and the heavy breaths from Keith. They never wavered from their consistent rhythm, assuring Shiro that he had not disturbed their slumber.

When Shiro was fully dressed he departed. He opened and closed the front door slowly, but he bolted the minute it was shut with a soft click. What he didn't realize after his departure was that the soft click had been enough to wake Keith.

Keith was a soft sleeper. Normally, if anything happened in the house, he knew. When he heard the distinct click of the front door he was immediately awake and coherent, his senses scanning his surroundings. He saw Lance, sleeping like a log as he always did, but after a moment of thought he realized that he didn't see Shiro. He reluctantly pulled himself from the warmth Lance's body emanated and stood, realizing Shiro's clothes were gone as well. He walked into the living room and saw the door unlocked, and that was all he needed to connect the dots.

"Crap," Keith sighed, realizing what had happened. It wasn't that he thought Shiro would have taken anything from them, but he was worried what they may have done emotionally to Shiro. He had been so willing the night before, but that didn't mean that there wasn't something else going on. Keith knew that feeling all too well. The feeling of being excited but nervous, then panicking after it was too late. He looked at the coffee maker and turned it on. As he poured the grinds into the filter he looked at the clock on the machine and cursed. It was 2pm.

Lance emerged from the bedroom only a split second after the intoxicating and unmistakable aroma of coffee left the machine. He was smiling, knowing that his caffeine fix was near.

"Afternoon," Keith muttered as he grabbed two mugs from the cupboard. Lance had immediately been attracted to the coffee machine like a magnet to metal, watching as drop after infuriatingly slop drop dripped into the carafe below.

"Is it?" Lance asked, eyes not leaving the drop that was dangling tantalizingly from the top of the machine. Lance followed it as it dropped, seriously considering just pouring out the sip and a half that was already there just to get some caffeine in him.

"Soooo, do you notice anything missing? From last night specifically?" Keith asked, rolling his eyes at the fact that Lance hadn't caught on yet.

"Hm?" Lance hummed before he suddenly stood bolt upright, realization hitting him like a wave crashing against the shore. "Oh."

"Damn straight oh. What do we do now?" Keith questioned, not sure of the best course of action given the present circumstances. He knew they couldn't just do nothing, but at the same time he didn't know what they could do.

"First, coffee. Then do," was all Lance said.

 **...**

Showered, dressed, and coffeed, the pair set out to hunt down the third participant of their recent tryst. They had no idea where he lived, so they started in the only place they could: the bar. It was just past dinner time and they hoped he would be there, open to whomever had finished dinner early and wanted a drink.

As they opened the door to the bar they were assaulted by the roar of dozens of voices, each trying to speak over the last to be heard. The bar was rammed, every table filled and several people standing. As they weaved their way through the crowd they found Shiro behind the bar, running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Several people were yelling drink orders at him and it was clear within a few seconds that he was struggling to keep up. Lance and Keith needed only a quick glance at each other before they knew what they had to do.

They both rushed behind the counter, quickly finding trays stored neatly on a shelf underneath. Keith grabbed one and started making rounds at the tables, cleaning up empty glasses and taking orders from patrons. Lance started taking orders from people at the bar, quickly using his bartending skills to whip them up. He purposely brushed against Shiro who, to this point, hadn't realized they had even arrived. He opened his mouth to question his presence and tell him that he had no time to talk, but then he noticed Keith in the crowd working and caught on. Lance was working on drinks and he smiled, appreciating the assistance for just a moment before he got back to the customer in front of him.

Shiro watched the boys for a few minutes out of the corner of his eye, but it didn't take him long to realize he had nothing to worry about. They worked the POS with ease, mixed drinks flawlessly, and either had great customer services skills or amazing acting skills. They had clearly waited before and Shiro was not about to complain about the sudden assistance.

"Thanks guys," Shiro said the next time the two of them both happened to all be within earshot. "I really appreciate your help. I was dying."

"Glad to help," Keith replied, his tone indicating that he was actually happy to be of assistance. "I've worked in a few bars before so tonight consider me your right hand man."

"Does that make me his left hand man?" Lance asked.

"No," Keith replied instantaneously. "You're more like a leg." Lance feigned insult at the quip, but immediately his mischievous smile returned and Keith had to brace himself for the inevitable scandalous comment that was obviously forthcoming.

"Hm, I can live with that. I learned last night that I like both of you above me." Lance ended the comment with an obnoxious wink that made Shiro immediately blush and turn away while Keith rolled his eyes.

The boys worked non-stop for the rest of the night. The crowds came and went, but their dedication remained consistent. As did their flirting. No matter how busy they were, no matter how fast they were running around, they always found the time to make a dirty pun or 'accidentally' brush up against Shiro. Shiro smiled and laughed, always enjoying the momentary distractions. Time flew past and before they knew it it was 2:00 in the morning and the final patrons were making their way out. Shiro locked the door behind them before rejoining Keith and Lance at the bar top.

"Guys, I can't thank you enough for tonight. You were lifesavers."

"Anytime," Lance replied with a wink. "I can already think of a few ways you can repay us."

"Mmmm, how about with a drink?" Shiro offered, causing Keith to laugh at Lance's momentary look of defeat. He reached onto the shelves, still in a state of disarray from the bottles being grabbed and hastily replaced that evening, and grabbed several ingredients. He mixed them together with a level of flare that he hadn't been able to show off due to the rush, but both Keith and Lance were entranced by his skill. Eventually he added just enough cola to turn the drink black and pushed the two glasses towards Lance and Keith, watching expectantly as they took sips. Shiro relaxed when he saw both of their faces light up.

"Wow this is amazing!" Keith complemented, and Lance nodded while he took another sip.

"Thanks. I call it the Black Lion. I invented it myself. I actually love making up drinks."

"Well clearly you are amazing at it," Lance interjected, half of his drink already gone.

"You guys want to give it a shot?"

"This comes as a shot!?"

"No no," Shiro laughed. "I meant do you want to try making your own drinks?"

"Definitely," Lance smiled, wasting no time rushing up to the shelf of ingredients and eyeing the bottles carefully. He immediately reached for the Cuban rum, and after a moment of thought he grabbed the blue curacao as well. Shiro had some pineapple juice in the fridge beneath the bar so he grabbed that too. Mixing them together he proudly placed the glass in front of them. "Voila, the Blue Lion."

"How original," Keith deadpanned. "I'm getting cavities just looking at this thing."

Lance and Shiro both took a sip and hummed approvingly, peer pressuring Keith into finally taking a sip. He forced himself to remain stoic, not telling Lance that it was actually good. It did ignite a flame within him, deep down his competitive nature coming to the forefront. He moved towards the bottles, painfully aware of the eyes watching him select his ingredients. He ended up selecting a cheap vodka and grenadine. As he mixed the ingredients he threw in a few cherries, then looked at the pop hose. It was here that he made his fastest decision: Dr Pepper.

Lance laughed at the face Shiro made as Keith poured the final ingredient. "Let it go Shiro, it's an addiction of his." He turned to Keith and added, "And you thought MINE would give you a cavity."

Keith brushed the comment off before sampling the drink. Satisfied he pushed it to Shiro and Lance, both of which seemed to enjoy the drink as well. While it was not a formal competition Keith decided to inwardly award himself the victory.

"So, what do you call this masterpiece?" Lance inquired. "A Red Lion?"

"Sure," Keith shrugged, too tired to come up with a name any more original. He stretched as he yawned, earning a similar reaction from the other two.

"So, Shiro," Lance started, and Shiro didn't need to hear any more to know what was coming. Lance's voice carried a flirty and suggestive tone, meaning he could only be about to propose one thing. "Would you mind walking us home? Since you know where we live anyway." Lance winked at the end of the sentence and even Keith was smiling coyly. When Shiro paused, Keith thought it necessary to jump in.

"We both had a lot of fun last night Shiro, and tonight as well. I hope we didn't scare you or force you into something you didn't want to do."

"No, it's fine," Shiro smiled. "I had a lot of fun too. It was just a bit awkward for me since it was the first time I've ever been in a scenario like that."

"Well, now that you have some experience, how about that walk home," Lance asked again.

"Very well," Shiro agreed as he grabbed his sweater. "But I'm not staying the night this time."

Shiro knew damn well he was staying the night.

 **END**


End file.
